Adelaide Blue Eagles vs Adelaide Olympic
Venue: Marden Sports Complex
Date: Thursday 20 May, 7:15 PM
Blue Eagles and Olympic kick off the round tonight at Marden Sports Complex with both sides still searching for their first league win of the season.
The home side are currently occupying the foot of the table without a point from their opening four matches, the most recent of which was a high-scoring affair against United that finished 4-2.
Olympic have picked up a point in each of their last two league fixtures, including an entertaining 3-3 draw with Campbelltown, but their two FFA Cup wins bring them up to four games unbeaten in all competitions.
Both sides will be eager to get three points on the board for the first time this season, with Blue Eagles in particular keen to end their disappointing run of results.
Adelaide Blue Eagles line-up: Aaron Bannister, Kody Maude, 1. Nikolas Harpas (GK), 2. Caleb Evans, 4. Anik Warnakulasuriya, 7. Liam Mccabe, 8. Stefan Gluscevic, 9. Hamish Anderson, 10. Hamish Mccabe, 13. Yuta Chinen, 14. Stanisa Velinov, 15. Christian D'Angelo, 17. Raffaele De Lucia, 18. Yohei Matsumoto, 19. Jake Tatarelli, 20. Isaac Mullen, 21. Alex Tsavalas, 25. Lachlan Fusco
Coaches: VOJISLAV GLUSCEVIC, Steven Melling
Team Staff: James Keating, Josh Smith, Henry Lambert
Adelaide Olympic line-up: 1. Lewis Moss (GK), 2. chol wel, 3. Paul Wilson, 4. Benkert Abdija, 5. Michael Cittadini, 6. Kristin Konstandopoulos, 7. Jacob Jones, 8. Jason Konstandopoulos, 9. Christos Pounendis, 10. Hirofumi Kochi, 11. Tito Bontor, 14. Fausto Erba (C), 20. Clifford Maina, 22. Joshua Kavenagh, 24. Panagiotis Manidakis, 25. Will Hendon, 44. Ioannis Simosis
Coaches: Yianni Stamatelopoulos, George Konstandopoulos, Lansana Conneh, Pal Prengaj
Team Staff: Konstandinos Dimas, Sumin Kim
Campbelltown City vs MetroStars
Venue: Steve Woodcock Sports Centre
Date: Friday 21 May, 7:30 PM
Friday night’s encounter pits Campbelltown against MetroStars in a contest between two top sides from last season who haven’t quite got going in 2021.
Campbelltown are the most notable slow starters in the league off the back of three straight championships, with their 3-3 draw with Olympic in which they twice came from behind representing their second point this season.
MetroStars have had a few difficult fixtures to start off the season, with draws against Comets and most recently the Kings, but still would’ve been hoping to have picked up more than the five points they’ve earned so far.
Although a tough start in their first four matches doesn’t rule them out from challenging from higher honours this year, Campbelltown and MetroStars know that it’s better to start winning sooner rather than later.
Campbelltown City line-up: 1. Jamie Signorello, 2. Shaun Harvey (C), 3. Liam Miller, 5. Julian Oscar Ionni, 7. Joel Allwright, 8. Alexander Mullen, 9. Marc Marino, 10. Luigi Ditroia, 12. Nicholas Francese, 14. Adam Piscioneri, 15. Antony Piscioneri, 16. Daniel Mullen, 18. Trey Williams, 20. Nicholas Harpas (GK), 23. Jake Halliday
Coaches: Iain Fyfe, Leslie Pogliacomi, Corey Artone, Ali Sadick
Team Staff: Agelo Kapnistis, Ryan Hanlon
MetroStars line-up: 1. Isaac Carmody, 3. Luke Frangakis, 4. Justin Davis, 5. Timothy Henderson, 7. Michael Daloisio, 8. Rocky Callisto, 9. Thomas Strain, 10. Anthony Solagna (C), 11. Ariath Piol, 12. Alessio Melisi, 14. Dylan Smith, 17. Matthew Dawber, 18. Fabian Barbiero, 20. Joshua Mori, 22. Hamish Gow, 23. Christian Esposito, 25. Jayden Spruyt, 26. Stefan Cali, 45. Jackson O'Donnell (GK), 68. Kalilou Kamara
Coaches: Robert Saraceno, Nicholas Bouzalas, Adam Van Dommele, Michael Rende
Team Staff: Joseph Polisena, Patrick Pike, George Laoutaris
Croydon Kings vs Adelaide Comets
Venue: Jack Smith Park
Date: Saturday 22 May, 2:30 PM
The Kings are another side who haven’t quite hit the ground running this year and they know it won’t get any easier with a match against high-flyers Comets.
Although the hosts boast the equal-most resolute defence in the league with three goals conceded, their three scored puts them at the bottom of the charts, both of which were on display in their goalless stalemate with MetroStars.
Comets, meanwhile, top the league, with their opening round draw the only blight on their record in all competitions this season; their most recent victory was courtesy of a 3-2 comeback completed in the 83rd minute against South Adelaide.
The visitors shape as the sternest test in the competition right now, but the Kings will be backing themselves in to claim a big scalp.
Croydon Kings line-up: 1. Gianni Tramontin, 2. John Panagaris, 3. Filimon Asefa, 4. Paul Pavlou, 5. Luke Klimek (C), 6. Christopher Vivian, 8. Adam Martinello, 9. Nathan Munro, 10. Antoni Trimboli, 11. Luis Benedetti, 12. Tatenda Nyaruwe, 13. Foribert Niyonkuru, 14. Peter Mercurio, 16. Kristos Stefanopoulos, 17. Manni Katopodis, 18. Jarrod Brazzale, 19. Chikondi NYIRENDA, 20. Jared Clark, 21. John Hall (GK), 23. patrick caraccia
Coaches: Travis Dodd, Latham Byfield, Adam Vizzari
Team Staff: Mario Catalano, Joshua Avery
Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Julian Torresan (GK), 3. Manley Barnett, 4. Nathan Dimou, 5. Adam Le Cornu, 6. Jack Bladen, 7. John Karatzas, 8. Ryan Yates, 9. Andreas Wiens, 10. Anthony Mavrolambados, 11. Jayden LoBasso, 12. Harry Keramidas, 14. Nathan Andijanto, 16. Ninko Beric, 18. Thomas Giannakopoulos, 19. Jaiden Diamantis, 21. Nikolas Ikonomopoulos, 22. Allan Welsh (C), 23. Scott Nagel, 31. Daniel Vaughan, 77. Chris Christofilos
Coaches: Barney Smith, James Guffogg, Matthew Bates
Team Staff: Evangelo Katsambis, Andrew Furner, Emma Gericke
Adelaide Croatia Raiders vs Sturt Lions
Venue: Croatian Sports Centre
Date: Saturday 22 May, 3:00 PM
Raiders enter this Saturday afternoon contest on a high after their big win in their previous league fixture but face another side in promising early season form in Sturt.
The 3-0 win away from home against Cumberland backed up their previous (dramatic) 2-2 draw with Adelaide City, representing a significant improvement in finding the back of the net after a goal in each of their opening league games.
Sturt, meanwhile, fell to a narrow 1-0 loss at home against City, although they bounced back with a win by the same score line in the Cup last weekend against Modbury Jets.
This match should be a hard-fought one between two sides in good form and keen to entrench themselves in the top half of the league.
Adelaide Croatia Raiders line-up: Jai Esposito, Julian Vella, Rhys Thompson, 1. Vincent Barbaro, 2. Jackson Walls, 5. Matthew Mullen, 6. Omari Didero, 7. Dylan Pickert, 9. Massimo Falco, 10. Dion Kirk, 11. David Carosi, 13. Nicholas Munro (C) (GK), 15. Lansana Smith, 17. Harley Gepp, 19. Vianne Kurikwimana, 20. Thanasis Lesi, 21. Jaxson Bullen, 22. Kelvin Kamburu, 23. Mark Ulaj
Coaches: Terry Westwood, Steven Hughes, Michael Paleka
Team Staff: Antonio Vella, Lisa Feleppa
Sturt Lions line-up: Jonathan Fusco, Tom van der Hoeven, Toby Nelson, Akira Kobaishi, Cooper Mullins, Jacob Atkinson, Oliver Sigley, Alexander Sortini, Daniel Solari, Caden Yates, Daniel Guastella, Valentino Esposito, Cale Nagle, Bradley Davey, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Brandon Centofanti, Samuel Voigt, Daniel Snobl, Samed Altundag, James Klappers, Ben Woollard, Anthony Taylor, Luke Fusco, Michael Gravas
Coaches: Lino Fusco, Frank Tibaldi, Gregory Videon, Michael Harkness
Team Staff: Ivan Piovesan, Jakson Messent, Andrew Ross
South Adelaide vs Cumberland United
Venue: O’Sullivan Beach Sports and Community Centre
Date: Saturday 22 May, 3:00 PM
Cumberland have been brought crashing back down to earth after a dream start to their NPL season and come up against another challenging side in the form of South.
After an injury-time winner denied them a point against Comets, the visitors were soundly beaten on their own turf by Raiders in Round 4 to mark their second consecutive loss.
The Panthers, meanwhile, were impressive in their defeat to Comets last round, also conceding late in the contest to lose against one of the best outfits in the division.
This contest firms as an exciting one between two sides with a knack for finding the back of the net, with a spot keeping pace with the big boys up for grabs.
South Adelaide line-up: Daniel Hosking, Jack Rudge, 1. Ryan Veitch (GK), 2. Brett Rayner, 4. Robert Parker (C), 5. Declan Gray, 6. Liam Wooding, 10. Jonathon Rideout, 11. Alexander Rideout, 13. Jai Conroy, 15. Jackson Stephens, 18. Blake Lindsay, 20. Jack Walker, 21. Jack Ellis, 25. Callum Nissen, 31. Masaya Sasaki, 39. Awal Dut
Coaches: Andrew Calderbank, Anthony Rideout, Mitchell Daly, Fraser McLean
Team Staff: Wayne Harrington, Jacqueline Wingate
Cumberland United line-up: 1. Luke Schoen (GK), 3. Joshua Harvey, 5. Sam Carmichael, 6. David Signore, 8. Harry Thannhauser, 9. JUAN GUTIERREZ, 10. Jumar Oakley, 11. Thomas Briscoe, 15. Ryan Wood, 16. Brayden Micallef, 17. Tom Dittmar, 18. Antoni Panagoulias, 20. Stavros Bakopanos, 31. Benjamin Visser
Coaches: Neil Young, Mathew Balopitos, Matthew Prodanovski, Marijan Kolar
Team Staff: Jody Loomes, Sean Bushby
Adelaide City vs Adelaide United
Venue: Adelaide City Park
Date: Saturday 22 May, 5:00 PM
City have taken the form that dragged them from sixth to a preliminary final last year into the new season and they have another chance to test themselves against the Young Reds in the late kick-off on Saturday.
A 1-0 victory away from home against an impressive Sturt side marked City’s third win in their opening four matches, conceding just three times and leaving them only behind Comets on goal difference in that time.
United have also started promisingly, with victories against Campbelltown and now Blue Eagles coming in their last two matches showing that they’re capable of matching it with more experienced sides.
A win for City would see them retain their place in the top two ahead of the chasing pack, while it would be another big scalp for United if they can claim all three points at Adelaide City Park.
Adelaide City line-up: 1. Alexander Woodlands (GK), 4. Matthew Halliday, 5. Zakariah Waters, 8. Joseph Costa, 10. Nicholas Bucco, 11. Charlie Devereux, 12. Jonathon D'arrigo, 13. Lachlan Barr, 14. Aladin Irabona, 17. Thomas Brown, 20. Kur Kur, 22. Noah Benouzekri, 23. Jai King-Byrne, 45. Markus Orchard, 77. Asad Kasumovic
Coaches: Paul Pezos, Stavros Gelekis, Angelo Paul, Edward Scalzi
Team Staff: Fabian Garuccio
Adelaide United FC line-up: Steven Hall, 14. Domenic Costanzo, 15. Noah Smith, 17. Mohamed Toure, 19. Yaya Dukuly, 24. Pacifique Niyongabire, 34. Yared Abetew, 37. Jonny Yull, 41. Alexandar Popovic, 42. Fergus Lynch, 44. Arbi Mollas, 48. Bernardo Oliveira, 51. Binyam Kebede, 55. Ethan Alagich, 57. Adam Leombruno, 73. Noah Mcnamara
Coaches: Airton Andrioli, Elvis Markov, Vlado Blazeka, Joe Verringer
Team Staff: Will Mockridge, Justin Graetz, Katrina Smith
Image: Ken Carter